We’ve been friends for thirty years. During that time, we’ve each purchased a ton of stuff for our families and homes. We often asked each other, “what should I do with this thing,” or, “what’s the best use for these?” “Should I recycle; can I recycle?” Our journey to “do the right thing” with our own clutter and excess household items that we no longer used, needed, or wanted to store, led us to compile this recycling guide.
After a couple of decades of managing our families and careers—and through several household moves—we accumulated a lot. Even if we kept it all organized
and boxed up, at some point, our interests and
lifestyles shifted, and all of this stuff became clutter
that we needed to dispose of. The kids grew up
and no longer liked Dr. Seuss books, the roller
blades no longer fit, and we all were upgrading
our cell phones every two years. Before we knew it,
it was all too much. We’ve both been attempting to
reduce consumption and simplify our lives for years.
Caring for a houseful of people, pets, and “stuff” is a
lot of work! We began to recognize the value of
lifecycle as we talked about simplifying our
lives, recycling, reducing, and reusing.
We started to “Think Outside
the Bin.”

We wanted to find the most environmentally- friendly, neighborly way to pass on our items. As we explored all of the options for passing along our “common clutter,” our research uncovered a world of possibilities for our discards. We learned to look for the highest and best use for our clutter, and we felt responsible for making sure the stuff we had acquired was handled in a sustainable way.

We started to feel responsible for our trash!
Think Outside the Bin is filled with ideas for making better choices for the destiny of common household items. It’s social recycling—taking your unwanted items and putting them in the best possible next set of hands! Think outside of the bin; it’s a way of life you can feel really good about. Help your neighbor; help your earth.